All You Need is Love
by LadyMandalina
Summary: These are the drabbles I did during my 30 Days of Writing over on Tumblr. All of them are Post-ME3, and follow my personal headcanon.
1. Beginning

He knew he loved her from the very start. The moment she pulled him from the beacon on Eden Prime his fate was sealed. He remembers vividly sitting with her in the med bay of the Normandy for the 15 hours she was out. Dr. Chakwas had tried to get him to leave, but he wouldn't hear it. It had been his curiosity that put her in that bed, and had refused to leave until she woke up.

When she finally did wake up she treated the whole thing like it was normal. She only smiled at him, and told him it was no big deal.

That was how it had all started between them. That was their beginning. Now it's three years later. The Reapers we finally defeated, and the galaxy could start rebuilding. The two of them could finally start their lives together. Now all she had to do was wake up.

He held her frail hand in his as she lay broken in her bed. They dug her out of the London rubble two months ago, and ever since then she laid here. But she was alive, and for right now that was worth everything they had done until now.

"Major Alenko," he heard a nurse say from the doorway, "maybe you should get some sleep. She isn't going to be waking up anytime soon."

He didn't want to leave. He didn't leave the first time, and he sure as hell wasn't going anywhere now. "I'm alright. I just want to sit with her a little bit longer."

The nurse said something he didn't quite catch and left before he could ask her to repeat it. Kaidan dismissed it, and returned to Shepards battered form. She was 'healing nicely' they said. Though it would take a while until she would be up and saving the world again.

He sat with her for another hour before deciding to leave. As he pulled away the grip on his hand tightened.

"Kaidan," Shepard rasped, "Don't leave me..."

His heart leapt into his throat, and he could feel tears burning in his eyes, "I'm not leaving. I'm never leaving you."

"Did we do it? Did we win?"

"Yes, yes, Shepard, we won. You did it."

He watched as she turned her head slightly to look at him. Her, beaten, blue eyes looked up at him.

"Then it's really over... We can start over..."

"Yes, Shepard. We can. A new beginning."

"A new beginning," and she fell back asleep.


	2. Silver

He was graying at his temples. He told her that he hated it. It made him look old he said. She couldn't get enough though. She loved looking at him and seeing the traces of silver. When he was asleep at her bedside she would run her fingers through it. It never failed to put a smile on her face.

Here he was again at her bedside. Sometimes she wondered if he ever went home. She could only imagine the stress she was putting on him by lying in this bed. She felt a little bad. Sometimes as she lay there the thought came across her mind that she was mostly likely the reason for those gray hairs. She was quite the handful with the dying, working with terrorists, and forcing him to watch her run head first into a reaper she couldn't see any other reason for his graying.

Running her fingers through his hair woke him up. "Good afternoon."

He stretched, "I didn't mean to fall asleep. Sorry about that."

"Don't apologize. I was just admiring a silver fox as he slept."


	3. Move

"C'mon Ashley. Walk to daddy." Kaidan Alenko lifted his year old daughter onto her feet. A few days ago Ashley had started pulling herself up on the furniture. Shepard had been there to see it and when he came home that day she was so excited she could hardly tell him.

He took a few steps away from her and watched as she balanced herself on shakey legs. She shuffled a whole step before falling back down. She didn't cry she just looked up at him and raised her arms up. He scooped her off the floor, and started to try again with her when Shepard came home from from buying groceries. Kaidan put Ashley back down on the floor to help his wife with the groceries.

While her parents were distracted Ashley crawled her way over to the couch and pulled herself up. She watched from her position as her parents put all the food away. She wanted to be with them, and the next thing she knew she was wobbling toward them.

Kaidan froze and nudged his wife to turn and look. The two of them just stared at her as she continued to shuffle toward them. When she finally fell down Shepard rushed to scoop her up repeating to her daughter how proud she was.

"We have to work extra hard now. She's mobile." Shepard only laughed at him and continued to praise her baby.


	4. Order

She made him leave. Not once, but twice. He had to watch her walk away into the unknown without him leaving him to wonder if she would come back this time. Last time she didn't.

Garrus had to really hold him back. Even after she disappeared into the thick of war he still wanted to be there. The Normandy took off taking him with it. He was following orders, again, that he wanted desperately to break.


	5. Prepared

He called her name a few time after he walked through the front door. She didn't answer, but he had a good idea as to where she was. He walked into the spare bedroom, and he was correct. There she sat on the floor organizing the drawers of the changing table.

"Have you been in here all day?"

It looked like he scared her a little. She turned her head, and smiled up at him. "Only for about an hour. I put the bedding in the crib, and then I got so tired and fell asleep."

He sat down with her, and started folding clothes into one of the drawers. "Don't do to much. I don't want you to getting too tired."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "I won't, promise." She put the last of the diapers in the drawer, and managed to squeeze in the two bottles of baby powder. "Do you think we're prepared enough? And I don't mean with all this stuff. Do you think we're going to be able to do this? Raise a baby."

Kaidan ran a hand over his wifes swollen belly, "Yes, I think we are. You're going to be a great mother. I don't think anyone is ever truly prepared for this. We'll learn as we go. It'll be okay."

She looked up at him, and smiled. "You're right. If we can save the galaxy from a Reaper invasion we can take this challenge on. I guess we really are prepared."


	6. Sunset

"You're finally getting used to this aren't you?" Mrs. Alenko as she sat down next to her.

She really was getting used to civilian life. The only orders she had to take were her own, she could go almost anywhere she pleased, and the war was over so there were no more threats of psychotic dark space aliens to worry about. She just looked forward to peace. Peace with her husband, and their soon to be born daughter.

"Is she being fussy today?" Her mother-in-law said bringing her teacup up for a sip.

"No," She said running a hand quickly over her swollen belly, "She kicks me in my spine every so often, but other than that she's been quiet."

Mrs. Alenko laughed, "Don't get used to it. Your due in a few weeks. She'll make up for lost time." The older woman took another sip of her tea, "I see you're still working on that blanket. It looks nice so far. I'm surprised you picked up on crocheting so fast."

Claire was surprised at herself as well, but learning to crochet was very relaxing to her. Like playing the violin she needed more relaxing things to do to deal with the leftover stress from the war. She held out the light pink blanket in front of her. It was massive, easily covering almost all her legs. She wanted it big her her baby to grow into, and because it was just so calming. "I think I am almost done with it."

Mrs. Alenko laughed again, "You're going to be a great mother. I know you're scared, but you and Kaidan... You're more than ready for all of this."

She folded the blanket up in her lap, and leaned back on the deck swing. "I know, and she'll have two grandmothers to fuss over her. Not to mention a whole crew of aunts and uncles. She'll be the most loved little girl in the galaxy."

"Yes she will be."

The two women sat on the balcony in silence as the sun set over the Vancouver skyline.


End file.
